Garry Kasparov
Garry Kasparov
Garry Kimovich Kasparovis a Russian chess Grandmaster, former World Chess Champion, writer, and political activist, considered by many to be the greatest chess player of all time. From 1986 until his retirement in 2005, Kasparov was ranked world No. 1 for 225 out of 228 months. His peak rating of 2851, achieved in 1999, was the highest recorded until being surpassed by Magnus Carlsen in 2013. Kasparov also holds records for consecutive professional tournament victoriesand Chess Oscars...
ProfessionChess Player
Date of Birth13 April 1963
CityBaku, Azerbaijan
If you make a decision to fight for future of your own country you have to consider all the consequences.
Millions like me in Russia want a free press, the rule of law, social justice, and free and fair elections. My new job is to fight for those people and to fight for these fundamental rights.
When you say politics, you conjure a whole bunch of associations: elections, campaigning, debates, fundraising. None of this exists in Russia! We are still fighting not for election victories but for having elections at all.
I learned that fighting on the chess board could also have an impact on the political climate in the country.
The loss of my childhood was the price for becoming the youngest world champion in history. When you have to fight every day from a young age, your soul can be contaminated. I lost my childhood. I never really had it. I have to be careful not to become cruel, because I became a soldier too early.
If you're already in a fight, you want the first blow to be the last and you had better be the one to throw it.
The scale of the man to whom we are bidding farewell today in no way corresponds to the paltry scale of today's authorities.
I don't have to run for Presidency in Russia to feel good about myself. I already completed more than many people could have dreamed of.
Chess was natural for me; I was extremely successful.
It's absolutely vital now for Russia to make sure that democratic institutions will be resurrected and will go through the election process.
I think that it's a vital moment now for Russian democracy to convince people that it's only our actions, our joined actions and protests that could force Kremlin to reconsider its plans to abolish presidential elections.
I think our chances are not looking great today but the only way to fail for me is just not to try.
In chess, we have styles - like in any other field. There are also fashions in the kinds of systems that people play. So I'm trying to know my opponent as much as possible.
I organize a chess festival in Hungary. I support chess in schools, and I have my own chess foundation. And I started writing books.